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Match-fixing and Incentive Bonus Crime: How Many Years is the Penalty, When Does It Come, What Happens to the Club? Article 11 of Law No. 6222, qualified circumstances, effective regret, Football Disciplinary Instruction Article 56 and its impact on club management have been updated as of 2026
Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an operation against 33 club managers working in professional leagues in February 2026, and against 19 suspects, including club managers, in July 2026, alleging betting and match-fixing. The crime of match-fixing is regulated in Article 11 of Law No. 6222; The basic penalty is imprisonment from one to three years and a judicial fine of up to twenty thousand days. If the perpetrator is a club manager or manager, or if the aim is to influence the outcome of the bet, the penalty is increased by half. In this crime, postponement of the announcement of the verdict, postponement and alternative sanctions are closed. The guide explains when the offense was completed, the difference between the incentive bonus and the intra-club victory bonus, effective regret and the disciplinary sanctions of the federation.
1. What is Match-fixing and Incentive Bonus?
The law defines match-fixing as providing gain or other benefits to someone else in order to influence the outcome of a particular sporting event. Benefit; It may be provided to the referee, opposing team's player, coach, sports director or club manager. The person from whom the benefit was obtained is also punished as a co-perpetrator. The person who contributes to the conclusion of the match in this way, knowing the match-fixing agreement, will also receive the same penalty (Art. 11/2). The benefit does not have to be money; Transfer promises, contract renewal promises or career support can also be considered "other benefits".
Incentive bonus is the giving or promising of external benefits to a team in order to ensure its success. A typical example is that a club that wants its opponent to lose points in the league promises money in return for a win to the players of a third team that will play against that opponent. According to the Supreme Court, in order to constitute an incentive bonus crime, the economic value must come from outside the own resources of the club receiving the bonus (Supreme Court 19th CD, E.2016/629, K.2017/248, 16.01.2017). For this reason, the victory bonus paid by a club to its own players and technical staff and the success bonus given to the national team do not constitute a crime (Art. 11/6).
2. When is the crime completed?
The decisive factor in match-fixing is not the result on the field, but the agreement itself. The law considers reaching an agreement regarding the provision of benefits as sufficient to complete the crime (Art. 11/1, last sentence). In its decision regarding the 2011 match-fixing case, the Supreme Court of Appeals stated that it is not important whether the agreement is reflected in the field or not and that there is no need for an expert examination on this issue (Supreme Court 5th CD, E.2013/16791, K.2014/516, 17.01.2014). Therefore, whether the team alleged to have fixed the match wins or draws does not eliminate the crime.
If a benefit is promised or offered and the other party does not accept it, the crime remains at the attempt stage (Art. 11/3). The most discussed issues in these files are the channel through which the offer was transmitted, whether the intermediary actually delivered the offer to the other party, and proof of acceptance.
Is the betting account itself a match fixing?
The prominent allegation in the 2026 investigations is that some managers placed unfavorable bets on their own clubs' matches. What the article seeks is providing benefits to someone else in order to influence the outcome of the competition. Therefore, although betting records are important evidence regarding the purpose of match-fixing for the prosecution, they do not meet all the elements of the crime on their own without establishing a transfer of interest or agreement. In such a case, the act is evaluated separately in terms of the betting ban of the Football Disciplinary Instruction and Law No. 7258 if it was played on an unauthorized site.
Match-fixing (basic case) art.11/1 Imprisonment between 1 and 3 years and a judicial fine of up to 20,000 days
Using the influence of public office; By the club or federation manager, technical and administrative manager, manager; within the framework of organizational activities or in order to influence the outcome of the bet art.11/4 The sentence is increased by half (imprisonment between 1 year and 6 months and 4 years and 6 months)
If the offer is not accepted Article 11/3, TCK Article 35 Discount according to the terms of the enterprise
More than one match with the same decision to commit a crime art.11/10 The penalty for the act requiring the heaviest punishment is increased from one quarter to three quarters.
If the crime was committed for the benefit of the club or another legal entity Article 11/7 An administrative fine of at least 100,000 TL to the legal person for match-fixing or the amount of the premium.
In case of conviction art.11/11, art.17/A Ban on serving in club and federation management and control bodies
Regarding the administrative fine to be imposed on the club, the Supreme Court accepted that the authority belongs to the court handling the match-fixing case and that the penalty can only be given after it is proven by the verdict that the crime has been committed. While the trial was ongoing, the administrative fine imposed by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was annulled on this grounds (Supreme Court 19th CD, E.2016/629, K.2017/248).
HAGB, postponement and alternative sanction ban: It cannot be decided to postpone the announcement of the verdict in match-fixing and incentive bonus crimes; The prison sentence cannot be postponed and cannot be converted into a judicial fine (Art. 11/9). Therefore, the finalized prison sentence is carried out directly within the framework of the general rules of execution law.
Supervision of communication: The measure of wiretapping and detecting communication in CMK Article 135 can also be applied to this crime (Article 23/2). In defense, the wiretapping decisions should be checked one by one for which crime, for what period and from which court.
The competent court: As a rule, it is the specialized criminal court of first instance (Art. 23/1). When a case is brought together with related crimes such as organizational crime, the trial may be combined in the high criminal court.
Effective remorse: The person who causes the crime to be revealed before the competition is not punished (Art. 11/8). Since the law binds this opportunity to the start time of the match, time determines everything in this provision.
Statute of Limitations: Since the upper limit remains below five years even in the increased case, the statute of limitations for the case is eight years (TCK Art. 66/1-e).
In accordance with Article 5 of the Law on Sports Clubs and Sports Federations No. 7405, the management, audit and disciplinary board memberships of those who are convicted of match-fixing or incentive bonus crimes in the sports club and the club's sports joint-stock companies are terminated without the need for any other action on the date the verdict becomes final. This result occurs even if the crime has been pardoned. Article 34 of the same Law requires not to be convicted of these crimes as a general condition for the president and board members of the federation.
Criminal proceedings and the federation's disciplinary process proceed independently of each other; Law No. 6222 also clearly states that imposing a penalty does not eliminate the federation's sanction authority (Art. 19/1). Article 56 of the Football Disciplinary Instruction regarding influencing the outcome of the match provides for the following sanctions:
Relegation of the club to a lower league if the violation was committed by the club manager,
In case of attempt, one to three years of deprivation of rights for the person and disciplinary punishment for the club; If the attempt aims to gain profit from the bet, it is considered a serious violation and at least 12 points of the club will be deleted.
For referees, permanent deprivation of rights even if the violation is not completed.
The instruction does not provide for a statute of limitations for disciplinary investigation in violations that affect the outcome of the competition. The period and procedure for appealing to the Arbitration Board against PFDK decisions are explained in detail in this series' guide for football players and referees placing bets.
The manager of a club struggling to stay in the league, through an intermediary manager, offered money to two players of the opposing team in exchange for their "bad performance" in the match. One of the players accepted the offer, the other rejected it. The player, who accepted the offer two days before the match, regretted it and reported the situation to his club and the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the match was played.
For the accepting player, the crime is completed at the moment of the agreement; However, this player will not be penalized in accordance with Article 11/8 because he revealed the crime before the match. For the manager and the manager, the act of the player who accepts is considered completed match-fixing, and the act of the player who rejects is considered attempt. Both of them face an increased penalty by half due to their qualifications under Article 11/4-b and the prison sentence cannot be postponed. In case of conviction, the club may be fined at least 100,000 TL; In terms of discipline, the manager's action poses the risk of the club being relegated to the lower league. In the defense, the primary examination issues are whether the intermediary actually conveyed the offer to the players, whose sources the benefit came from, and the legality of the wiretapping recordings.
If a match called match-fixing is lost, is there a crime?
Yes. The crime is completed when an agreement is reached on the interest. The result of the match may be considered in determining the penalty, but it does not eliminate the crime.
Is it a crime for the club to give victory bonuses to its own players?
No. The bonus given by the club to its own players and technical staff for success is out of scope in accordance with Article 11/6. The crime arises when the bonus is given externally to another team that will play a rival match.
Can match-fixing fines be postponed or converted into cash?
No. The law clearly prohibits HAGB, postponement and alternative sanctions for match-fixing and incentive bonus crimes.
If he is acquitted in the criminal case, will the disciplinary penalty be lifted?
It doesn't get up on its own. The disciplinary process operates independently and may result in different standards of proof. However, the evidence revealed in the criminal file can also be used in disciplinary processes.
Does the match-fixing allegation affect club membership?
The existence of an investigation or prosecution alone does not end the administration. The result arises on the date the conviction becomes final in accordance with Article 5 of Law No. 7405.
Trying to manage disciplinary and punishment processes with a single strategy; Not taking into account that the statement in the criminal file could be used against him in the disciplinary file. Relying on the "match is already lost" defense.
Not checking the legality of phone tapping decisions in terms of date, duration and crime type.
Confusing the internal club victory bonus with the external incentive bonus.
Waiting without knowing that the possibility of effective regret is limited to the match time.
Match-fixing and incentive bonuses are rare crimes in sports law that have simultaneous consequences in terms of criminal justice, federation discipline and club management. The fact that HAGB and the postponement method are closed, and the conviction means direct execution and the termination of the club management, necessitates the defense to be established meticulously from the first day of the investigation.
Küheylan Law Firm; It carries out criminal defense for club managers, football players, managers and referees in match-fixing, incentive bonus and betting-related investigations, PFDK and Arbitration Board processes and evaluation of the results regarding club management with a holistic approach.
Important Legal Notice: The legal explanations contained in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general information purposes and do not constitute legal advice. In sports law, federation instructions change frequently, objection and application periods are short; Since each file has its own unique conditions, it is recommended to get support from a lawyer before taking action. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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